Cypriot News Headlines 24.6.11

Cypriot newspaper headlines for June 24th, 2011...Alithia: The paper reports that parliament will reconsider all the appointments made for Cyprus' EU presidency after the former head of the project resigned amid allegations of nepotism.

President Christofias is expected to reshuffle his government next week in an attempt to improve its image, says the paper.

Simerini: The paper reports on the dismantling of an Internet fraud ring and says that Cyprus helped US authorities to investigate.

Phileleftheros: "Clash over economic measures" headlines an article saying that political figures criticised the government's latest financial measures to impose a 1000-euro tax on profitable companies for the next two years. In other news, all police officers have been ordered to remove tattoes on exposed areas of their bodies.

Havadis reports that the Turkish Cypriot Secondary School Teachers’ Trade Union (KTOEOS) member Tahir Gokcebel was arrested. A member of the party council of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) Dervis Aygin was also arrested on the grounds that they used violence against police and prevented them from doing their duty during the incidents which took place the day before yesterday at the Eastern Mediterranean University (“DAU”).

Tension was created yesterday at KTOEOS headquarters in Turkish-held Nicosia between members of the Trade Unions’ Platform and the police because of the warrant of arrest against Gokcebel and Aygin.

The trade unionists prevented police from entering the building

KTOEOS described the developments as “steps of fascism” and “policy of intimidation”.

Afrika refers to the developments under the title: “Tahir Gokcebel was arrested” and notes that “tension escalates” in the occupied area of Cyprus. According to the paper, Gokcebel and Aygin would be taken to court today.

Gokcebel stated that “when a person who is among us is touched, everyone hurts”. He said that “the community has the right to resist against the fascistic pressures”.

Commenting on the issue in his column in Afrika, Sener Levent recalls that the occupied Famagusta “police director” is Erdal Emanet, who is accused of shooting Greek Cypriot Solomos Solomou during the incidents in Deryneia area in 1996. Under the title: “The weapon that shot Solomou turned on us”, Levent recalls that Emanet is wanted by Interpol with Red Bulletin and that he was head of the anti-riot forces then. “Just for spite of Interpol, we made him police director here”, he notes.

Kibris reports that the parents of the students who study in secondary education schools in the government-controlled areas want their children to be able to enter Turkey’s universities with the results of G.C.E A level exams.

Vedat Tek, in a written statement, on behalf of the parents, described the alteration of the decision of Turkey’s Higher Education Board (YOK) and the 'ministry of education' not to permit to the Turkish Cypriot students who study in the government-controlled area to enter the Turkish universities with the G.C.E A level exams as discrimination. He also said that “with this implementation, they want deliberately to exclude all the students who study in south Cyprus despite if they are TRNC citizens”.

Tek also said that the main aim of self-styled ministry of education, youth and sports is to prevent the children from studying in the government-controlled area of the Republic of Cyprus.